2023 Media Day: Coach James Franklin Talks All Things Penn State Training Camp
Penn State head coach James Franklin met with the media on Sunday afternoon to officially kick off his team’s 2023 training camp. Expectations are high for Franklin and his team in the head coach’s 10th season with the Nittany Lions.
Hear his entire press conference comments on our YouTube Channel. Blue White Illustrated will bring you Franklin’s weekly press conference moments after it wraps up all season long. Subscribe to BWI on YouTube so you don’t miss our multimedia content.
Franklin discussed the early returns on training camp battles at wide receiver, defensive tackle, and more.
Penn State head coach James Franklin Press Conference
To start, Franklin addressed his team’s plan to hold an open practice for the fans and media. For the first time under Franklin, the team will hold a fall practice open to the public, the team announced on Friday. Penn State will hold a two-hour practice that is open to members of the public on Sat., Aug. 12. Held at the Lasch practice fields, it will be free to attend. Gates open at 6:30, and the on-field work begins at 7 p.m. ET.
“We’re looking forward to the open practice that we’re having, which is something new.
Me and Manny went and visited the Patriots. We think it’s going to be a good thing. We like to play in Beaver Stadium. But I also think there’s an aspect of playing in front of the fans and in front of the media.”
Franklin, whose name has swirled several off-seasons over the last decade, reflects on sticking with Penn State.
“This aligns more with my DNA and who I am as a person. I’m a very loyal person. But it aligns with what the University is used to.”
Changes in College Football
But over that time, college football has changed dramatically. With Oregon and Washington joining the Big Ten for the 2024 season, several questions focused on the changes over time under the last 10 years of football that Franklin has seen at Penn State.
“The last five years… there’s been more changes in the last five years than I the previous 50. And it’s not even close.”
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The best way to describe this would be from my perspective is the transfer portal. The pendulum has swung too far the other way. But there was a problem.”
Should a coach have been able to prevent a player from transferring from a list of ten schools? No. But I also don’t think that complete, open transferring is good either. I think when you say something like that, it comes off as an anti- student-athlete.”
Franklin went on to discuss the challenges of keeping education a part of the NCAA model. He discussed the issue of graduation rates among transfers and how the ability to teach life lessons about overcoming adversity.
He discussed the quarterback situation, and while he didn’t comment on who would be the starter between Beau Pribula and Drew Allar, he commented on his third quarterback, freshman Jaxon Smolik.
“I think Smolik has been the surprise of camp. Although, he’s still learning the playbook. But he’s just got a natural feel for the position on the field. He throws a really nice ball. If we can continue to build on this, we’ll feel good about that situation.”
Penn State opens the season against West Virginia on Sept. 2 at Beaver Stadium. The team starts with the annual Stripe-Out game in primetime.
